LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: IBET, UNL‐ITQB, CASA DO ARROZ, EM, UNIV. ALEXANDRIA, CSIC‐IATA, DPL

Expected outcomes: selection of a subset of 20 target varieties (representative of the available diversity), which will be used in the following Tasks and WPs. The criteria for selection will necessarily include the assurance of varietal certification and take into consideration the relevance for each country.

LEADER: UNL‐ITQB

Expected outcomes: identification of target sequences, design of specific primers, variant loci validation and development of multiplex PCR-based methods (in the selected varieties).

LEADER: IBET;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, CSIC‐IATA

Expected outcomes: results of the rice quality based on determinations of basic composition, amylose content, characterization of volatiles, sweet and bitter compounds, viscosity profiles (development of standard), texture and sensory analysis (development of standard) and spectral data collection from near-infra red (NIR) and FTIR. Bio-accessibility data of specific nutrients and phytochemicals in cooked rice samples.

LEADER: UNL‐ITQB;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, IBET

Expected outcomes: predictive models to assess rice authenticity based on classification of gene analysis, metabolomics, FTIR-ATR and NIR spectral data using machine learning strategies and also for estimation of quality and safety.

LEADER: MATER DYNAMICS;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, UNL‐ITQB

Expected outcomes: develop a digital platform for data uploading and processing through Mater Dynamics’s Application Programming Interface (API) linked to a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) per technical team member and accountable institution, a geolocation fingerprint (GFP), a Unique Event Identifier (UEI) per submitted characterization dataset and a timestamp. The generated database will be a starting point towards rice traceability and transparent supply chain practices.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: CSIC‐IATA, IBET, EM

Expected outcomes: map of several available solutions with focus in real-life scenarios and implications in a life-cycle view (e.g. use of protective packaging solutions and the use of bioplastics).

 

SUBTASK 2.1.1 -  INSECT AND FUNGAL GROWTH MITIGATION
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: IBET, EM

Expected outcomes: assess the cost-benefit of use of insect repellents (diatomaceous earths, husk ash, pheromone stick trips), chilling, gas flushing to remove oxygen (nitrogen or carbon dioxide), packing in hermetic bags (small or large) for insect and fungal growth mitigation during rice paddy storage. The use of essential oils (e.g. from rice bran, turmeric, spices, gingers), active packaging and the assessment of bioplastics will be tested during the storage of milled rice. The selection of methods to test and information to be collected will be useful for construct an informed business case of insect infestation prevention.

 

SUBTASK 2.1.2 MYCOTOXINS AND PESTICIDES RESIDUES
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: IBET

Expected outcomes: mapping mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, fumonisins) and pesticides in commercial paddy rice lots from different origins (60 samples). The same samples will be scanned by NIR and FTIR to obtain enable a fast and non-destructive method to screening the contamination levels. Collection of predictive models from the literature for fungal grow during rice paddy storage as function of temperature and humidity.

 

SUBTASK 2.1.3 BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION AND PREDICTIVE SOLUTIONS
LEADER: CSIC‐IATA;
PARTNERS: EM

Expected outcomes: microbiological characterization of contaminating microorganisms in raw materials and ready to eat rice based products. Search by literature review of predictive solutions for the conditions/products/microorganism studied and application in subsequent tasks.

LEADER: EM;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, IBET, CSIC‐IATA

Expected outcomes: lab trials to obtain concrete and unbiased data for cost and effectiveness of the solutions considered to be promising in a real-life scenario unbiasedly.

 

SUBTASK 2.2.1 INSECT INFESTATION
LEADER: EM;
PARTNERS: INIAV, IBET

Expected outcomes: assessment of weevil repellents in field trials. Quantification of humidity loss in chilled and non-chilled rice storage, resulting weight loss and differences in breakage in milling of chilled and non-chilled stored rice. Assessment of the efficiency of hermetic packaging to prevent egg hatching. Assessment of the efficiency of active packaging and bioplastics to prevent egg hatching. Assessment of the efficiency of treatment of rice with oils. Assessment of the use of other components, such as rice ash and diatomaceous earths.

 

SUBTASK 2.2.2 INSECT GROWTH MONITORING, DETECTION OF HIDEN INFESTATION, MYCOTOXIN ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: IBET

Expected outcomes: monitorization of rice samples for insect growth, at controlled T and HR, and for mycotoxin contamination. The control samples (without insects) will be also screened for hidden infestation.

 

SUBTASK 2.2.3 MICROBIAL INACTIVATION AND GROWTH PREDICTION AND PREVENTION
LEADER: CSIC‐IATA;
PARTNERS: EM

Expected outcomes: predictive modelling for Bacillus cereus growth potential as a result of different preservation strategies of cooked rice: pasteurisation + chilling, commercial sterilisation and freezing. A validation trial, simulating the time-temperature conditions of typical production and distribution chains, will be undertaken.

LEADER: EM;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, IBET, CSIC‐IATA

Expected outcomes: provide a final choice (set of choices) and a validation trial of that selection with a real-life scenario.

LEADER: EM;
PARTICIPANTS: BGI

Expected outcomes: incorporate food safety assurance related with the whole history of the rice, from field to milling, cooking and processing, packaging materials used, treatments applied, etc. into the product traceability.

LEADER: CSIC‐IATA;
PARTICIPANTS: DPL, INIAV

Expected outcomes:  market study with consumers from the countries involved to compile the in-house recipes and in-countries traditions for the consumption of rice-based products, as well as to identify consumer’s expectations. The technologies and products selected will be evaluated in the scenario of the circular economy considering their technological scale up viability, economic efficiency, social and environmental impact.

LEADER: CSIC‐IATA;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, IBET, DPL

Expected outcomes: application of existing technologies for the efficient conversion of the entire paddy rice into edible materials that ensures a sustainable food processing. The magnitude of the impact of using enzymes to hydrolyse the husk and bran constituents on the cooking performance of the brown rice, nutritional composition and bioactive compounds will be assessed. The approach includes the determination of digestibility of the cooked rice and the estimated glycaemic index. Different soaking and germination conditions will be tested on rice kernels and the optimum condition will be based on the level of antioxidant compounds and alfa amylase activity. Based on the parboiling technology, diverse compounds with antimicrobial activity (linked to WP2) will be tested following the shelf-life of uncooked and cooked products, besides the nutritional and sensory quality.

LEADER: IBET;
PARTICIPANTS: INIAV, CSIC‐IATA, DPL

Expected outcomes: application of alternative treatments to the by-products generated from rice processing, (husk, rice bran and broken kernels). Application of a cocktel of enzymes to hydrolyse the cell-walls of the huskes and evaluate the potential use of the resulting material as biodegradable material by testing their tensile and textural properties. Enzymatic and  physical treatments, will be applied to rice bran to extend its application as food ingredients that confer additional nutritional and/or sensory properties. Innovative extraction technologies will be applied to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds (supercritical fluid extraction, solvent extraction using biosolvents and natural deep eutectic solvents, microwave pretretment). Bioactivity of samples will be evaluated in terms of antioxidant activity using complementary chemical assays (ORAC, HORAC, HOSC), cell-based assays (CAA) and anti-diabetic potential by evaluating the capacity of ingredients in inhibiting alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. The effect of the bioactive compounds in inhibiting glucose transport mediated by glucose transporters GLUT2 and SGLT1 will be accessed and the expression of inflammatory biomarkers will be evaluated.

The flours obtained from broken kernels will be discriminated based on their technological (rheological, viscoanalyser) performance. Different intensity milling process and fractionation of the flour will be applied to obtain flours with different particle size distribution and technological functionality will be tested also for breadmaking.

LEADER: DPL;
PARTICIPANTS: CSIC‐IATA, INIAV, IBET

Expected outcomes: test of ingredients (e.g. bran with different particle size distribution) or additives from the by-products at pilot plant scale and industry. Sensory analysis and safety evaluation will be done in those food (bakery products) and beverages with more promising performance. Sunfiber (fiber enriched ingredient extracted from rice) will play an important role in the design of healthy foods that allow modulating the glycemic index. Oil extracted from rice will be tested in usually fatty foods (mayonnaise and biscuits) to replace animal fats with this vegetable fat. Gluten free bakery products will be developed with flours obtained from broken kernels.

LEADER: EM;
PARTICIPANTS: BGI, INIAV, CASA DO ARROZ

Expected outcomes: definition of the technical infrastructure, standards, specifications and strategies at rice field, primary and secondary processing to be followed by blockchain approach.

LEADER: BGI;
PARTICIPANTS: EM

Expected outcomes: develop a pilot (case study) supported by EM facilities and using the blockchain approach to cover the complete value chain for assuring food safety, rastreability, authenticity and profitability. News business model unity will be evaluated, using business modelling analysis based on the application of state-of-the-art tools such as strategizer, canvas, value proposition, perceived value. The evaluation of a potential new venture will also be studied.

LEADER: BGI;
PARTICIPANTS: EM, INIAV, CASA DO ARROZ

Expected outcomes: develop a business strategy and market analysis of the products to be exploited. Study of potential startups incorporation strategies with founding structure and team, term-sheets, shareholder agreements and decision on best jurisdiction/geography.

LEADER: BGI;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: inventory of the available resources and a specification of what needs to be added, extended or adapted for supporting the pilot. Recruitment of local companies to participate in the pilots. Along these activities, evaluation tools will be incorporated in the process. This task will also include the training of the local users.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: perform the two planned pilot (Spain and Egypt) closely linked with a parallel evaluation of their progress and results. Validation of the TRACE solution by considering its technical, economical and social dimensions. Reporting on the progress and results of the pilot trials will include successes, failures, experiences gained as well as a retrospective evaluation of the approach taken in defining services, setting up and running the trials.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: validation of the implemented pilot solutions including the ICT application. The blockchain application will be validated from the perspective of the co-design methodology, relating these activities to the discovery of relevant information about the usability and effectiveness of the solutions. The rice NIR classification models will be tested with the purchased equipment by Univ. Alexandria.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: development of an exploitation strategy by mapping, characterising, and elaborating individual strategies for the market, scientific and policy uptake of all exploitable project results. The Exploitation Plan will include: a map of key exploitable results and corresponding IPR strategy; joint business models and plans for key results and business cases with market uptake potential; a report on standardization; an analysis of exploitation risks and key market and regulatory barriers and recommendations to overcome these barriers; recommendations for policy and scientific uptake of results; a plan for further dissemination of results after the project’s completion.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: C&D Plan with the necessary guidelines to enable a sound and effective implementation of the strategy at Transnational and Local level by identifying target audiences, key messages, actions, channels, tools, timing, geographical areas and management structure. A scalable approach will be adopted based on the inputs coming from the continuous monitoring activity of the C&D strategy through dedicated outreach and engagement indicators. The Plan will be yearly revised and updated, tailored to the local contexts and exploiting the most effective tools and channels already in place in replication areas (Portugal, Spain and Egypt) to reach their communities and targets.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: kicking-off the C&D strategy of the project through the definition of the project identity, its communication channels and materials and producing contents addressing an audience at consortium, Mediterranean, EU and global levels.

 

SUBTASK 6.2.1 PROJECT IDENTITY DESIGN
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: ALL

Expected outcomes: project identity will be developed in line with the project key messages. A project logo, colour codes, graphic elements and reporting, letter and presentation templates will be created. Additionally, the design of the website, the newsletter and all promotional material will be in line with this project identity and will be used in all C&D activities.

 

SUBTASK 6.2.2 TRACE-RICE ONLINE CHANNELS
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: ALL

Expected outcomes: website in English and local languages of the partners with public and private areas. The public area will act as the main information and dissemination platform while the private area will provide limited access to TRACE-RICE partners and also for the organisation of Blog-type discussions on specific issues. The website will also contain a web depository (e.g list of recommended varieties; market reports) for CASA DO ARROZ members with the purpose of enlarge the engagement of other rice relevant stakeholder’s. Creation of Twitter/Facebook/Instragram accounts and a Linkedin page and participation in already existing discussion groups that will be scouted as part of the C&D strategy definition. Social media engagement with local communities will be directly managed by the local partners.

 

SUBTASK 6.2.3 COMMUNICATION MATERIALS
LEADER: INIAV;
PARTNERS: ALL

Expected outcomes: 8 project one-pagers (1-page summary of project activities and achievements to date), project flyers and project roll-up in English and local versions. Other printouts (such as postcards, bookmarks, posters) will be produced according to the specific communication needs. Project videograms (5 min) will be produced by the various partners, in liaison with the coordinator of each WP (1 videogram per WP1 to WP5 per year).

LEADER: CASA DO ARROZ;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: facilitate engagement and co-creation activities with all stakeholders involved in the rice commercialization value chain.

 

SUBTASK 6.3.1 SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
LEADER: CASA DO ARROZ;
PARTNERS: ALL

Expected outcomes: 9 proposals of Ciência Viva, summer trainee program, participation in international food exhibition SIRHA Lyon/France, ANUGA Cologne/Germany and TUTTOFOOD Milan/Italy. Edition of Good Practice Book.

 

SUBTASK 6.3.2 CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
LEADER: MATER DYNAMICS;
PARTNERS: INIAV, IBET

Expected outcomes: development of a consumer-centric mobile application (TRACE-RICE app) for free information access of technical, nutritional and relevant issues towards authenticity, safety and traceability of rice-based products. The gathered information will be shared through a peer-reviewed publication in order to offer consumers potential insights.

 

SUBTASK 6.3.2 CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
LEADER: MATER DYNAMICS;
PARTNERS: INIAV, IBET

Expected outcomes: creation of network of stakeholders (industry, government bodies and wholesalers) at local and EU/international level to achieve a synergy between all parties, organizing regular events (workshops, informative talks, final conference) and invite stakeholders to assess project development and provide inputs, increasing the exploitation and replication potential of the project.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: Project Management Handbook summarizing all the required knowledge for the good management of the project (administrative forms, financial aspects, quality process, etc.). The Management Handbook includes a detailed project development, an internal communication plan and review procedure for a successful project management and monitoring of quality of the results.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: coordination and management administrative matters and giving administrative support to all partners, preparing administrative reports, ensuring financial management, the compilation of project deliverables, the technical and financial periodic reporting and communication with the PRIMA services for purposes of coordination, progress monitoring and reporting.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: WP LEADERS

Expected outcomes: supervision of the project progress and the compliance with the schedule (execution of tasks, reports, results, deliverables, milestones), control by an internal annual assessment of the technical work status and by coordination of the different work packages to ensure the quality of the outcome, undertaking corrective actions if needed to meet the plan.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: KoM (Kick-off Meeting); GA (General Assembly) at months 12, 24, 36 and 48); PM (Progress Meetings) at least twice a year with the purpose of monitoring the fulfillment of the work programmed and project progress achieved on foreseen milestones, deliverables and results and WP (Work Package) meetings among WP participants organized by the Work Package Leaders.

LEADER: INIAV;
PARTICIPANTS: ALL

Expected outcomes: Data Management Plan (DMP), a formal document that outlines data that will be handled during the deployment and integration and after the project is completed. The goal is to consider all the aspects of data management: Data set reference and name; Data set description (origin, nature, usefulness, etc.); Standards and metadata; [4] Data sharing (access procedures); [5] Archiving and preservation (long-term preservation procedures). The DMP will be updated at least every year.